Sports
Murrieta's Motocross 'Machine' Wins Olympic Gold
Maris Strombergs, a Murrieta resident, wins a second gold in BMX racing for the tiny nation of Latvia
Latvia's first-ever Olympic cycling champion, who calls Murrieta home, has won a gold medal in 2012 Olympics mens' BMX racing.
This is the second BMX gold for Maris Strombergs, who won the gold in the BMX inaugural mens' racing competition at the 2008 Olympics.
Strombergs, 25, nicknamed "The Machine," won in 37.576 seconds Friday, closely chased by Sam Willoughby, who took the silver medal for Australia, according to BBC news.
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Strombergs has called Murrieta home for about two years. According to his website, at age 6 he began the challenging sport of BMX, in which racers cycle motocross-style at top speeds on an obstacle-filled track.
He won his first title at age 9. Along with his Olympics gold Strombergs has held two world championships during his 18-year racing career. Read more about his BMX record HERE.
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The tiny Republic of Latvia, north of Lithuania and west of Russia, also has earned a bronze medal in men's beach volleyball in the 2012 Olympics in London.
